'I like weed, and I'm a good person': Pot smokers fight stereotypes

Public perceptions about pot have come a long way, from the dire warnings of "Reefer Madness" to growing acceptance of medical marijuana and the legalization of recreational use.

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Harry Anslinger was named commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics when it was established in 1930. While arguing for marijuana prohibition, he played on Americans' fear of crime and foreigners. He spun tales of people driven to insanity or murder after ingesting the drug and spoke of the 2 to 3 tons of grass being produced in Mexico. "This, the Mexicans make into cigarettes, which they sell at two for 25 cents, mostly to white high school students," Anslinger told Congress.

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A poster advertises the 1936 scare film "Reefer Madness," which described marijuana as a "violent narcotic" that first renders "sudden, violent, uncontrollable laughter" on its users before "dangerous hallucinations" and then "acts of shocking violence ... ending often in incurable insanity."

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Marijuana cigarettes are hidden in a book circa 1940. Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, effectively criminalizing the drug.

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Even after Congress cracked down on marijuana in 1937, farmers were encouraged to grow the crop for rope, sails and parachutes during World War II. The "Hemp for Victory" film was released in 1942 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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A woman buys ready-rolled marijuana cigarettes from a dealer at her door circa 1955.

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Members of the Grateful Dead talk with reporters from their home in San Francisco on October 5, 1967. The band was protesting being arrested for marijuana possession.

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U.S. Customs agents track the nationwide marijuana market during Operation Intercept, an anti-drug measure announced by President Nixon in 1969. The initiative intended to keep Mexican marijuana from entering the United States.

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Research scientist Dr. Reese T. Jones, right, adjusts the electrodes monitoring a volunteer's brain response to sound during an experiment in 1969 that used a controlled dosage of marijuana. The tests were conducted at the Langley Porter Institute at the University of California, San Francisco.

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Marijuana use became more widespread in the 1960s, reflecting the rising counterculture movement.

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People share a joint during a 1969 concert in Portland, Oregon. In 1973, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize cannabis.

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Police dogs trained to smell out hidden marijuana examine U.S. soldiers' luggage at the airport during the Vietnam War in 1969. Drug use was widespread during the war.

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Marijuana reform was the Life magazine cover story in October 1969. The banner read: "At least 12 million Americans have now tried it. Are penalties too severe? Should it be legalized?"

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Protesters wade in the Reflecting Pool at the National Mall in Washington during the "Honor America Day Smoke-In" thrown by marijuana activists in response to the official "Honor America Day" rally organized by President Nixon supporters at the Lincoln Memorial on July 4, 1970.

President Jimmy Carter, with his special assistant for health issues, Dr. Peter Bourne, beside him, talks to reporters at the White House about his drug abuse control message to Congress on August 2, 1977. Among other things, he called for the elimination of all federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana.

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First lady Nancy Reagan participates in a drug education class at Island Park Elementary School on Mercer Island, Washington, on February 14, 1984. She later recalled, "A little girl raised her hand and said, 'Mrs. Reagan, what do you do if somebody offers you drugs?' And I said, 'Well, you just say no.' And there it was born." She became known for her involvement in the "Just Say No" campaign.

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Robert Randall smokes marijuana that was prescribed to treat his glaucoma in 1988. He became the first legal medical marijuana patient in modern America after winning a landmark case in 1976.

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President George H. Bush holds up a copy of the National Drug Control Strategy during a meeting in the Oval Office on September 5, 1989. In a televised address to the nation, Bush asked Americans to join the war on drugs.

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A television ad aired in 1996 by Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole's campaign included footage from a 1992 MTV interview of a laughing President Clinton saying he would inhale marijuana if given the chance to relive his college days.

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Dennis Peron takes notes during a phone interview while Gary Johnson lights up at the Proposition 215 headquarters in San Francisco on October 11, 1996. The ballot measure was approved when voters went to the polls in November, allowing medical marijuana in California.

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People in New York gather for a pro-cannabis rally on May 4, 2002. That same day, almost 200 similar events took place around the world to advocate for marijuana legalization. It was dubbed the "Million Marijuana March."

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Different varieties of medical marijuana are seen at the Alternative Herbal Health Services cannabis dispensary in San Francisco on April 24, 2006. The Food and Drug Administration issued a controversial statement a week earlier rejecting the use of medical marijuana, declaring that there is no scientific evidence supporting use of the drug for medical treatment.

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Medicinal marijuana patient Angel Raich wipes her eyes during a press conference on March 14, 2007, in Oakland, California. The 9th circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled that 41-year-old Raich, who used medicinal marijuana to curb pain from a brain tumor as well as other ailments, did not have the legal right to claim medical necessity to avoid the possibility of prosecution under federal drug laws.

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Coffeeshop Blue Sky worker Jon Sarro, left, shows a customer different strains of medical marijuana on July 22, 2009, in Oakland, California. Voters in the city approved a measure during a vote-by-mail special election for a new tax on sales of medicinal marijuana at cannabis dispensaries.

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A patient prepares to smoke at home in Portland, Maine, on October 22, 2009, a decade after the state approved a medical marijuana referendum.

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Sonja Gibbins walks through her growing warehouse in Fort Collins, Colorado, on April 19, 2010. Since the state approved medical marijuana in 2000, Colorado has seen a boom in marijuana dispensaries, trade shows and related businesses. So far 20 states and the District of Columbia have made smoking marijuana for medical purposes legal.

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Marijuana activist Steve DeAngelo wears a "Yes on Prop 19" button as he speaks during a news conference in Oakland, California, on October 12, 2010, to bring attention to the state measure to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes in California. Voters rejected the proposal.

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Nutrient products are placed on shelves in the weGrow marijuana cultivation supply store during its grand opening on March 30, 2012, in Washington, D.C. The store is a one-stop-shop for supplies and training to grow plants indoors, except for the actual marijuana plants or seeds. Legislation was enacted in 2010 authorizing the establishment of regulated medical marijuana dispensaries in the nation's capital.

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People light up near the Space Needle in Seattle after the law legalizing the recreational use of marijuana went into effect in Washington on December 6, 2012.

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A man smokes a joint during the official opening night of Club 64, a marijuana social club in Denver, on New Year's Eve 2012. Voters in Colorado and Washington state passed referendums to legalize recreational marijuana on November 6, 2012.

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Members of a crowd numbering tens of thousands smoke and listen to live music at the Denver 420 Rally on April 20, 2013. Annual festivals celebrating marijuana are held around the world on April 20, a counterculture holiday.

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Sean Azzariti, an Iraq war veteran and marijuana activist, becomes the first person to legally purchase recreational marijuana in Colorado on January 1, 2014. Colorado was the first state in the nation to allow retail pot shops. "It's huge," Azzariti said. "It hasn't even sunk in how big this is yet."

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In April, Maryland became the 18th state to decriminalize marijuana possession. Research published by the Pew Research Center in February showed 54% of Americans support legalization of marijuana.

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Matt Figi's 7-year-old daughter Charlotte was once severely ill. But a special strain of medical marijuana known as Charlotte's Web, which was named after the girl early in her treatment, has significantly reduced her seizures. In July, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pennsylvania, introduced a three-page bill that would amend the Controlled Substances Act -- the federal law that criminalizes marijuana -- to exempt plants like Charlotte's Web that have an extremely low percentage of THC, the chemical that makes users high.

Alaska Cannabis Club CEO Charlo Greene prepares to roll a joint at the medical marijuana dispensary in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, February 20. Several days later, Alaska became the third state in the nation to allow recreational marijuana.

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A woman smokes pot at her home in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, February 26. It was the first day it was legal to possess marijuana for recreational purposes in the nation's capital. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser defied threats from Congress by implementing a voter-approved initiative, making the city the only place east of the Mississippi River where people can legally grow and share marijuana in private.

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Employees make last-minute preparations before the grand opening of The Cannabis Corner in North Bonneville, Washington, on Saturday, March 7. The pot shop is the first city-owned recreational marijuana store in the country.

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Georgia Rep. Allen Peake celebrates with Kristi Baggarly, holding her daughter Kimber, after the state Senate approved Peake's medical marijuana bill Tuesday, March 24, in Atlanta. The bill will legalize possession of cannabis oil for treatment of certain medical conditions, such as the seizures suffered by Baggarly's daughter Kendle.

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Story highlights

Colorado recently became the first state to open recreational pot stores.

More than 55% of Americans say pot should be legalized nationwide, according to poll

Meet six people who have smoked marijuana recreationally and want it legalized

(CNN)Lighting up a freshly packed pipe is just the kind of afternoon delight iReporter robcat20 likes after dealing with a stressful day at work as an insurance agent. Usually he'll put on a movie from Netflix while enjoying a good smoke from Stella, his pipe.

There's just one problem: Smoking marijuana is illegal in his state of Ohio.

Robcat20, who asked not to be identified by name because he fears being "labeled as a bad person" in his small town, says it's time that changed.

"I like weed, and I'm a good person," he wrote on CNN iReport. "I am a successful businessman, a loving father, devoted husband, registered Republican, active in my community with charities, church and I give piano lessons in the evenings to children with disabilities."

The 33-year-old is not the only one who wants pot prohibition laws amended. A recent CNN/ORC International survey indicated a growing appetite for cannabis, with more than 55% of people across the United States saying marijuana should be legalized. More than half the respondents said they have tried it themselves.

Ever since Colorado started selling pot legally at the start of this year, the lines to marijuana dispensaries haven't slowed down. Pot sales are blooming in Colorado now. Soon the state of Washington will be following suit, selling retail marijuana for recreational use. And on Wednesday, the New Hampshire House of Representatives passed a preliminary vote to legalize up to one ounce of marijuana for recreational use by anyone 21 or older.

CNN iReport asked readers if they would consider buying retail pot if it were available in their area. Setting aside arguments around the medical efficacy of marijuana, these iReporters shared their opinions on the recreational benefits of the herb -- some citing increased relaxation, creativity and a viable alternative to alcohol.No current marijuana users wanted their names used; recreational weed is still illegal in most of the country at the state and federal levels.

Pot stocks are hot on Wall Street

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Does legal marijuana mean more addicts?

From college students to seasoned computer engineers, meet some of the people who want their cannabis hobby legalized:

People are 'missing out'

Twenty-year-old iReporter carcar1 started smoking pot to help her fall asleep at night. But marijuana is more than just a sleep remedy for her nowadays. The university student from Allentown, Pennsylvania, works as a security dispatcher at her school and uses marijuana recreationally.

To say she enjoys smoking marijuana is an understatement. "I LOVE POT!" she enthusiastically wrote in an e-mail to CNN. "I like to smoke with a couple people after all my work is done and the day is over to unwind and relax. I recommend everyone does that."

Since she started smoking regularly in college, she said she feels well rested. "It definitely does not affect my grades," she said. "This semester I got straight As and I am also on the Dean's List." Even her parents and grandmother know she smokes pot, and they don't mind it. But she says they do worry about her getting caught.

She can't understand why other states are not going toward legalization. "I am very pro pot," she said. "Many people have no idea what they are missing out on."

Marijuana 'makes me a better person'

Computer engineer farmer808 has been smoking since middle school, when he says he saw his parents doing it. Now he's in his forties and still turns to marijuana after work to relax. Toking up is a family activity -- his wife and college-age children partake in it, too.

"My day gets better and my emotional health improves the moment I spark up. For me, it is a beautiful thing that allows me to be more of a positive person," he said. "I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, marijuana is a boon to my life and helps me treat my fellow humans with the patience and kindness they deserve."

He'd like to see his state of Hawaii take the next steps toward legalizing retail sales of marijuana. He asked not to be identified because "there are many people who still despise marijuana users" and he worried about it affecting his career at a multinational company.

"I am a high performing, innovative, overachiever who uses marijuana to relax after a hard day's work," he said. "I have two college degrees and over a dozen patents in computer science. Like any habit, abuse leads to problems, but properly used in moderation I feel that marijuana is a boon to society."

Just want to enjoy the 'blessed herb'

CELESTIAL96 says he grew up in the "Flower Child Revolution." The magazine writer, author and journalist first started smoking marijuana recreationally in the 1970s while living in Los Angeles.

"It made a person feel mellow and creative, it gave you a high without a hangover, and it even had a spiritual touch to it," he wrote in his iReport.

But it wasn't until he relocated to the Caribbean to become an editor at a weekly paper that he started smoking marijuana regularly, about once a month. "I cut down on my drinking and my quality of life as well as my creativity as a writer took off," he said. "It just gives a very warm, mellow creative high that can't be explained. It has to be experienced.

"My relationship to the 'blessed herb,' as the islanders call it, is one of respect and awe," he said.

He says ganja, another Caribbean colloquialism for marijuana, awakens his mind and spirit when it is smoked properly. "I have never had a bad experience with cannabis," he said.

Now in his seventies and back in the states, he wants to be able to enjoy smoking recreationally again. "I think marijuana should be decriminalized and made legal in every state," he said. "I divide my time between Pennsylvania and Missouri, and wish both states would change the law on recreational use of marijuana."

Pot lets me 'be a productive citizen'

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If recreational marijuana were legal, security guard and father Tokahontas (yes, we chuckled at the username too) says he would never drink alcohol again.

It's a bold statement, but he's been a firm Mary Jane fan for the past 30 years, smoking occasionally whenever he can get his hands on marijuana. He says it allows him "to get up the next day, hangover free, and be a productive citizen."

It sounds like his wife prefers him that way, too.

"She says that when my friends and I get together and drink alcohol ... we act childish and stupid and sometimes even furniture gets broken. Plus she usually has to fight with one of us not to get behind the wheel," he wrote in his iReport. "But when we gather to smoke a little bit, she says we are all easygoing and hassle free. Our biggest concern on pot night is whether or not we gave the Domino's guy the right address."

If pot were legalized in North Carolina, the "sweet leaf" would be "my wine at the end of the day," he said."If pot is the gateway drug, the only drug it has led me to is more pot."

Benefits 'far outweigh' the downsides

David Harper, 65, says if pot sales were legalized where he lives he would absolutely buy -- although he's skeptical it will ever happen in his home state of Texas. The veteran and retired electrical engineer took his first hit when he was 24.

"Back in the early '70s you took what you could get," he said. Whether the marijuana was called "Mexican" or "Jamaican" or "Maui Wowi" he tried it. His college was lax about marijuana use, so he and his roommates smoked whenever they wanted in school.

"For me, the best part was the relaxation of both mind and body," he said. The former engineering major used to use it as a study aid because his mind would wander while reading his textbooks at night. "After taking a couple of tokes -- enough to get a nice buzz -- I found that it was much easier to concentrate."

He smoked pot throughout college, but stopped after graduating out of fear he'd get arrested. "This was unfortunate as, looking back, I would definitely say that some of my best [electrical] work was done during the early years of my career when I was using pot," he said.

Although he no longer uses marijuana, he is thrilled to see that states like Colorado and Washington are taking progressive steps toward legalizing the retail sale of marijuana.